2943. 'To all entering into the gate of his city, saying' means matters of doctrine through which one comes to faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'a gate' as a place of entry and so as that which, in the same way as a door, leads in, dealt with in 2145, 2152, 2356, 2385, and from the meaning of 'a city' as truth, which constitutes faith, dealt with in 402, 2268, 2449, 2451, 2712. In the Ancient Church a city was not like the city of later or of modern times. That is to say, a city did not consist of a collection or gathering together of individuals but of separate families living side by side. A family descended from the same forefather constituted a city. The city of Nahor, for example, to which Abraham's servant went to betroth Rebekah to Isaac, Genesis 24:10, consisted of the family of Nahor which was there. And Shalem, the city of Shechem, to which Jacob came after his departure from Paddan Aram, Genesis 33:18 and the whole of Chapter 34, consisted of the family of Hamor and Shechem which was there. And the same was so with all other cities in those times.

[2] And as it had come down to them from the most ancient people that nations and families represented heavenly communities, and so the things of love and charity, 685, 1159, therefore when a city is mentioned instead of a family, and a people instead of a nation, truth that constitutes faith is meant. It is also why in the genuine sense the city of God and the holy city mean faith in the Lord. And as 'a city' meant faith, 'the gate of the city' means matters of doctrine through which one comes to faith. The same was also meant in the Jewish representative Church by the judges and elders sitting in the gate of the city and giving judgement there, as is evident from historical sections of the Word, and also in Zechariah,

These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth, everyone to his companion; judge in your gates the truth and the judgement of peace. Zechariah 8:16.

And in Amos,

Hate evil, and love good, and establish judgement in the gate. Amos 5:15.

'A gate' also means the place of entry into the rational mind, and the rational mind is compared to a city, see 2851.

1115. And double unto her double according to her works, signifies as much retribution as they have profaned good. This is evident from the signification of "doubling double," as being to make much retribution, or to render much punishment (of which presently); also from the signification of "works," as being profanations of good, for the works of such are profanations; therefore "doubling double" signifies as much retribution as they have profaned good.

"Doubling double" has this signification because "two" does not signify two, nor does any number signify the quantity of the thing, but its quality, and two signifies the quality of a thing as to union, and is predicated of good and of evil (See above, n. 532, 984); and here "double" is predicated of the retribution of evil on account of the profanation of good; from which it is clear that "double" here does not mean double, but much of evil.

[2] That "double" is predicated of retribution and of remuneration, and signifies much, is evident from these passages in the Word. In Jeremiah:

Let my persecutors be ashamed, bring upon them the day of evil, and break them with a double breaking (Jeremiah 17:18).

"To bring upon them the day of evil and to break them with a double breaking" signifies much retribution of evil on account of persecution. In Zechariah:

Return to the stronghold, ye prisoner of hope, and this day do I declare that I will render double unto thee (Zechariah 9:12).

"To render double," signifies to give much reward.

[3] In Isaiah:

Comfort ye, My people, and speak unto the heart of Jerusalem that her warfare is accomplished and that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received from the hand double for all her sins (Isaiah 40:1-2

This is said of the Lord's coming and of a new church to be established by Him. That new church is meant by "Jerusalem," unto whose heart they should speak; the "warfare" that is accomplished signifies combats against evils; the "iniquity" that is pardoned signifies evil removed by the Lord; "they received double for all sins" signifies to endure much in combat or temptation. In the same:

Ye shall be called priests of Jehovah, ministers of our God; it shall be said unto you, Ye shall eat the riches of the nations, and in their glory shall ye glory. For your shame double, and for reproach they shall sing in their portion; therefore in their land they shall possess double, the joy of eternity shall be unto them (Isaiah 61:6-7).

Here, too, "double" signifies not double but much, and is predicated of retribution.

(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith and respecting the Lord)

[4] But I will relate what cannot but seem wonderful. In the thought of his spirit every man sees God as Man, even he who in the thought of his body sees Him like a cloud, a mist, air, or ether, and even he who has denied that God is Man. A man is in the idea of his spirit when he thinks abstractly, and in the idea of his body when he does not think abstractly. That every man in the idea of his spirit sees God as Man has been made evident to me by men after death, who are then in the ideas of the spirit; for after death a man becomes a spirit, and then it is impossible for him to think of God otherwise than as Man. An experiment was made whether they could think otherwise, and for this purpose they were let down into the state in which they had been in the world, and then they thought about God. The thought of some was that of the universe, others that of nature in her inmost, others that of a cloud in midair, others that of a beam of light, and others thought in other ways; but the moment they came out of that state into a state of the spirit they thought of God as Man. At this they were surprised, and declared that it was something implanted in every spirit. But evil spirits who have denied God in the world deny Him also after death, and yet in place of God they worship some spirit, who gains power over the rest by diabolical arts.

[5] It has been said that to think of God as Man has been implanted in every spirit. That this comes through an influx of the Lord into the interiors of their thoughts is evident from the fact that the angels of all the heavens acknowledge the Lord alone. They acknowledge His Divine which is called the Father, they see His Divine Human, and they are in the Divine proceeding, for the whole angelic heaven is the Lord's Divine proceeding. An angel is not an angel from what is his own, but from the Divine that he receives from the Lord. From this they are in the Lord; consequently when they think of God they can think of no other than the Lord in whom they are and from whom they think. Add to this that the whole angelic heaven in its complex before the Lord is as one Man, which maybe called the Greatest Man; consequently the angels in heaven are in the Man that is the Lord's Divine proceeding, as has been said; and since their thoughts have direction there according to the form of heaven, they are unable when they think of God to think of any other than the Lord. In a word, all the angels of the three heavens think of God as Man, and are unable to think otherwise. If they wished to think otherwise thought would cease, and they would fall from heaven. This, then, is why to every spirit and to every man, when he is in the idea of his spirit, it is instinctive to think of God as Man.